Social Question

When was the last time you were surprised to learn that not all traditions are the same as the ones you're familiar with?

Obviously this was prompted by my funeral procession question, so that would be my answer. But I remember going to Rick’s family for Thanksgiving dinner the first time and found it really odd that it was their tradition to always have chicken and noodles, which they’d put on their mashed potatoes in place of gravy, along with the more widely traditional food.
As a kid I’d visit friends and be surprised at the way they did things.

I remember when I first became aware that different families have different traditions when it comes to opening gifts on Christmas morning. My original family always opened gifts one person at a time, and one present at a time. That way everyone can watch the person open the gift, it makes the gift opening last longer. I always did it that way with my daughter and have so many lovely memories attached to those experiences. I was really surprised to find that some families have a “free for all.” approach, it seemed like a mad race to the end and so much less enjoyable.

When a family member had to falsify temperature statistics every day in a food store. Told that it was standard practice. I couldn’t square that circle and was disillusioned . Also sickened at the sick stuff that is done to food when you complain. I quit that day. Not just the job. I QUIT everything. I was sickened to find out how my favorite meal was prepared.

RedDeerJasperTallGuy, I get what you mean.
I saw meat in a grocery store which was marked with a sell by date for that day. The pad they put under the meat to absorb blood was clean. That means it was repackaged at least once, and the bloodsoaked pad tossed out. Who knows how many different sell by dates each piece of meat had before they sold it.

I grew up in a completely non alcohol household. It wasn’t like I didn’t know booze was out there, but when I met a boyfriend’s parents and was offered a cocktail, I was floored, especially since I was only seventeen.
I told his dad I never had one before, so I didn’t know what my favorite was. He fixed me a delicious strawberry daquiri. It was tasty, but I never developed a habit.

Having my childhood split between rural and city life I was astonished at how “fake nice” suburbanites were and realized at the same time how brutally honest but caring the country bumpkins I grew up with were.

In college my boyfriend took me home to meet his parents. I stayed the night there. I was floored when they offered me coffee the next morning. I’d never had coffee before. Coffee was for grownups!....and I choked on the first sip. How embarrassing.

I don’t know how, but my son developed a taste for coffee when he was way little, like 6. When he asked for coffee, rather than argue with him, I’d pour him a coffee cup full of milk and put, like, a tablespoon of coffee in it. Just enough for the milk to change color.